After shots fired outside Cellar, bar implements students-only policy

One Miami University student was injured when several gunshots were fired from a moving vehicle after an altercation spilled out of Cellar Bar into the early morning air on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Ashley Smith, a senior zoology and IMS major, suffered a shrapnel wound on her finger, resulting in a fracture and minor surgery. She was out with five of her friends when a fight broke out in the bar. Cellar’s staff evacuated the establishment, forcing patrons up the main staircase and out to high street, said Smith.

A woman involved in the altercation crossed the street with at least three men, climbed into an SUV and drove off, Smith said. Eventually, Smith crossed the street to find her friends and saw the vehicle return.

“I was across the street by the mailbox and the car went by and they started shooting and I guess a bullet ricocheted off of something and part of it went into my finger,” she said.

Smith was quickly treated at McCollough-Hyde Memorial Hospital and went to an orthopedist the next day, but says she and her finger are fine now.

In response to the incident, Cellar Bar, also known locally as “Hole in The Wall,” is instituting a Miami University-students-only policy, according to the bar’s management staff. It is currently unknown if the individuals responsible for the firearm discharge are Miami University students.

Oxford Police Department’s investigation into the incident is ongoing.